Machine for washing gravel or other materials.



H. W. DULL. MACHINE FOR WASHING GRAVELOR OTHER MATERIALQ.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1914.

1,80,688. j Patented Oct. 8, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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R. W. DULL. MACHINE FOR WASHING GRAVEL OR OTHER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. I914- 0 68& Patented Oct. 8, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- 1 STAES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND W. DULL, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAYMOND W. DULL GOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

mncnin'n non. WASHING GRAVEL on. o'rnnn MATERIALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND W. DULL, acitizen of the United States of America, and resident of La Grange, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Washing Gravel or other Materials, of which the following is a, specification.

My invention relates to machines for washing gravel or other similar materials;'

it relates more particularly to machines for this purpose in which a rotary receptacle containing water is arranged to receive the gravel or other materials at one end, and provided with means for causing the said materials to rise and fall and gradually travel to the other end of the said receptacle. By thus agitating the gravel or other materials in a rotary receptacle containing water the said materials are washed clean and smooth. My invention relates more especially to means for causing gravel or other materials to progress from the receiving end of the rotary receptacle to the discharge end thereof. In addition, my invention contemplates a gravel washing machine of this kind having a tapered screen secured at its smaller end to the discharge end of said receptacle.

Generally stated, the object ofmy invention is to provide a novel and. highly eificient washing machine of the foregoing general character.

Special objects are to provide novel and effective means for insuring the steady and desired progress of the materials from the receiving end of the rotary receptacle to the discharge end thereof, during the operation of the machine, and for preventing gravel or other materials from cutting away or wearing out certain portions of the machine; to provide an improved construction' and arrangement whereby the speed or progress of the gravel orother materials through the rotary receptacle may be changed or varied at will; to provide an improved construction andarrangement whereby a tapered screen is secured to and supported by the discharge end of the rotary washing receptacle, thereby screening the relatively fine materials from the relatively coarse portions thereof as they are discharged from the rotary washing receptacle; to provide a novel construction and arrangement whereby the washing fluid,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed September 18, 1914. Serial No. 862,401.

of a gravel washing machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the said machine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line 33 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a body frame A adapted to rest upon the ground or on a floor. Said frame is provided with flanged wheels at for engaging the annular tracks a on the horizontally disposed and rotary cylinder B, which latter is arranged longitudinally of the said frame or body. The said-cylinder is provided at one end with a receiving opening 6 and at the other end with a discharge opening 6 the said receiving opening being preferably somewhat larger than the other opening, whereby the water C in the receptacle Wlll flow to the left and be discharged through the opening 6 and into the spout 6 arranged adjacent said opening. The water can be fed into the rotating receptacle in any suitable manner. The said receptacle is provided interiorly with longitudinally disposed ribs b disposed at such an angle that when the receptacle is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 the gravel or other materials will be carried upward upon the flat surfaces of these ribs to a point near the top of the receptacle.

A hopper D is arranged for introducing the ravel or other materials through the openlng b, and a tapered screen E receives the said materials from the other end of said receptacle. Said screen is tapered and secured at the smaller end to the discharge end of the receptacle. This can be done in any suitable manner, as byproviding the said screen with an angle iron collar e which is bolted or otherwise fastened to a similar collar on the said receptacle. Thus the materials are screened after being washed. The means for causing the materials to progress slowly through the receptacle B are as follows :-A pair of channel irons F are arranged to extend parallel and longitudinally through the receptacle B and into the screen E, being disposed a suitable distance apart and supported at their ends by bars 7 and f mounted in any suitable manner upon the body frame, and the extension F of these beams being inclosed by the screen. These channel irons F are provided within the receptacle B with a series of cross pieces f each cross piece being in the form of a piece of angle iron, and each said angle iron forming a shelf for catching the gravel or other materials. In other words, when the receptacle B is rotated, the shelves f receive the gravel or other materials fromthe elevating ribs 1), and inasmuch as the vertical flanges of these shelves are all disposed toward the receiving end of the receptacle, it follows that each shelf becomes filled with gravel and then overflows at the edge thereof toward the discharge end of the receptacle. The angle irons G are arranged parallel and longitudinally of the receptacle and screen, and within the same, and are provided with similar shelves g, said angle irons being movably'supported by hangers g secured to the channel irons F, whereby said angle irons G may be moved endwise. For this purpose an adjusting screw 9 is screw connected with the outer ends of the angle irons G, at a point immediately below the hopper D, and by rotation of this screw the said angle irons can be adjusted endwise in either direction. The overflow from the shelves f is received by the shelves g,'and the overflow from these lower shelves is then received by the body of water C at the bottom of the receptacle. It will be seen that the gravel or other materials dropping from the upper shelves to the lower shelves move forward as well as downward, so that the avel which falls from one upper shelf when returned to the point above by the rotation of the receptacle, then fall upon the next upper shelf. In this way the materials are alternately raised and allowed to fall, and are in this way caused to follow an up and down or zigzag path through the rotary receptacle, re-

sulting in a slow traveling movement from one end of the receptacle to the other. Each time the materials are dropped from a point above they are finally received by the water and washed, and 1n addition a certain amount of the water is carried upward with the gravel or other materials, thus insuring a thorough washing action and also a smoothing of the gravel or other materials before the same reaches the discharge end of the at rotary receptacle. If the screw g is rotated in a direction to cause the channel irons G to move to the left, then the progress of the materials through the receptacle will be reduced somewhat and will be slower than before; and, on the other hand, if said screw be rotated in the opposite direction, then the angle irons G will be moved endwise to the right as shown in Fig. 1, and the result will be that the materials will travel somewhat faster than before. Thus the speed or progress of the materials through the rotary washing receptacle can be changed or varied at will, depending upon the character of the materials and the purpose for which they are to be used.

Any suitable means can be employed for rotating the receptacle B. also the screen E. and for thereby causing the materials to be washed and screened. As shown, the body frame of the machine is provided with a longitudinally disposed shaft H having a pinion h which engages the toothed ring 71, that encircles the rotary receptacle. this ring being preferably disposed bet-ween the tracks a which travel on the supporting wheels or rolls a previously described. The other end of the shaft H is provided with a belt pulley k by which the shaft is driven. Thus the driving power is communicated directly to the receptacle B, and it follows. therefore, that the rotation of this receptacle serves to rotate the screen.

In'operation. the materials are deposited in the hopper D, and are then discharged by the spout d into the bottom of the rotary receptacle B, which latter contains the water or other washing fluid. The rotation of the receptacle causes the materials to advance from one end thereof to the other, in the manner described, until the smooth and thoroughly washed materials are discharged into the screen E at the end of .the receptacle. This screen may be of any suitable character, the said walls thereof being perforated or apertured for the purpose of allowing the relatively fine materials to pass through; but the relatively coarse materials will roll or travel forward and downward on the sloping surface of the screenuntil they are discharged from the outer end of the latter. If desired, the bolts or fastening devices by which the screen is secured to the receptacle can be removed, any suitable provision being made for this purpose, and in this way the materials can be discharged without any screening thereof.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A machine for washing gravel or other.

materials, comprising a. receptacle arranged to rotate about a horizontally disposed axis, for containing the washing fluid, means for introducing the gravel or other materials at one end of said rotary receptacle, instrumentalities including stationary means for advancing the gravel or other materials through the receptacle to the other end thereof, and adjustable means cooperating with said stationary means to vary the speed of progress of the materials through the machine, said instrumentalities including an upper series of shelves for catching the falling gravel or other materials during the rotation of said receptacle, and a lower series of shelves for intercepting the overflow from said upper shelves, said receptacle, having means to carry the materials upward to the said upper shelves.

2. A machine for washing gravel or other materials, comprising areceptacle arranged to rotate about a horizontally disposed axis, for containing the washing fluid, means for introducing the gravel or other materials at one end of said receptacle, instrumentalities for advancing the gravel or other materials through the receptacle to the other end thereof, said instrumentalities including an upper series of shelves for catching the falling gravel or other materials during the'rotation of said receptacle, a lower series of shelves for intercepting the overflow from said upper shelves, and means for adjusting said lower shelves to change the speed of progress of the gravel or other materials through the receptacle.

3. A machine for washing gravel or,other materials, comprising a receptacle arranged to rotate about a horizontally disposed axis, for containing the washing fluid, means for introducing the gravel or other materials at one end of said receptacle, instrumentalities for advancing the gravel or other ma terials through the receptacle to the other end thereof, said instrmnentalities including an upper series of shelves, an upper member for supporting said upper shelves, a lower series of shelves, a'lower member for supporting said lower shelves, movably" supported on said upper member, and means for 

